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Certification Blueprint

ABAI's Certification Blueprint illustrates the expected coverage of topics appearing on the annual Certification examination. The percentages (shown below) are to be used as a guideline and are not a definitive representation of examination content. These percentages are regularly monitored by the ABAI Board of Directors with the intent that the examination content will reflect the breadth of medical knowledge essential for competence in allergy and immunology.

A. Allergy and Hypersensitivity Principles and Disorders (epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment/management, physiology/pathophysiology)	54%
1. Head and neck	11%
A.1.a. Nasal (allergic and non-allergic rhinitis)
A.1.b.Sinus (acute and chronic, NP, allergic fungal sinusitis)
A.1.c. Ocular
A.1.d. Anatomy, physiology & pathology
A.1.e. Diagnostics – Nasal/conjunctival provocation, mucociliary function
A.1.f. Cough
2. Dermatologic	11%
A.2.a. Eczema
A.2.b. Atopic Dermatitis
A.2.c. Contact Hypersensitivity
A.2.d. Urticaria
A.2.e. Angioedema (hereditary and acquired)
A.2.f. Anatomy, physiology & pathology
3. Lung	11%
A.3.a. Asthma and related disorders
A.3.b. Occupational diseases
A.3.c. ABPA
A.3.d. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
A.3.e. Eosinophilic granulomatous polyangiitis (CSS)
A.3.f. COPD
A.3.g. ILD
A.3.h. Anatomy, physiology & pathology
A.3.i. Pulmonary diagnostic testing: e.g., spirometry, bronchoprovocation, body plethysmography, FeNO, IOS, Mucociliary function)
4. Food and Drug Allergy/Hypersensitivity Reactions (not including eosinophilic GI disease)	11%
A.4.a. Adverse Reactions to Foods
A.4.b. Allergens
A.4.c. Adverse Reactions to Drugs & Biologicals (epidemiology, mechanism & management principles)
5. Anaphylaxis and Mast Cell Activation Disorders (not food or drug-related)	10%
A.5.a. Idiopathic
A.5.b. Exercise
A.5.c. Latex
A.5.d. Stinging insect
A.5.e. Mastocytosis
A.5.f. Other mast cell disorders
B. Immunological Disorders (epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment/management)	45%
1. Immune Inflammatory Disorders	10%
B.1.a. Immune complex disorders
B.1.b. Autoimmune disorders
B.1.c. Autoinflammatory (febrile) disorders
B.1.d. Vaccination & immunomodulatory therapeutics
B.1.e. Other aspects of immune-mediated inflammation
2. Immunodeficiencies	16%
B.2.a. SCID
B.2.b. Combined Immunodeficiency
B.2.c. T cell disorders
B.2.d. B cell disorders (hypogammaglobulinemia, antibody deficiencies)
B.2.e. Phagocytic disorders
B.2.f. Complement disorders
B.2.g. TLR signaling pathways
B.2.h. IL-12/IFN-gamma pathways
B.2.i. Secondary immune deficiency
B.2.j. Other immune dysregulation and immunodeficiencies
3. Eosinophilic and Gastrointestinal Disorders	6%
B.3.a. Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (includes Eosinophilic esophagitis)
B.3.b. Hypereosinophilic syndromes
B.3.c. Inflammatory bowel disease
B.3.d. Celiac disease
B.3.e. Anatomy, physiology & pathology
4. Immune system & Research Principles	9%
B.4.a. Immune system development/normal immune system
B.4.a. Antigens including superantigens, determinants
B.4.a. Antigen presentation & histocompatibility
B.4.a. Immunoregulation / Tolerance
B.4.a. Immunogenetics / Molecular Biology
B.4.a. Immunoglobulin structure and function
B.4.a. T & B Cell Ligand-Receptor Interactions & Signal Transduction / Cell Activation / Anergy
B.4.a. Cytokines / Chemokines & Their Receptors
B.4.a. Adhesion Molecules
B.4.a. Complement, coagulation, fibrinolytic & kallikrein–kinin immune system
B.4.a. Immediate Hypersensitivity (IgE-Mediated)
B.4.a. IgG/IgA/IgM/FcR-Mediated Reactions (e.g. ADCC, immune complex, opsonization)
B.4.a. Delayed type hypersensitivity / Cell-mediated immunity
B.4.a. Innate Immunity
B.4.b. Cellular mechanisms of immune responses including cytokines and mediators
B.4.b. Lymphocytes
B.4.b. T cells & receptors
B.4.b. B cells & receptors
B.4.b. Other lymphocytes (e.g. NK, NK-T)
B.4.b. Antigen-Presenting Cells (e.g., Monocytes, Macrophages, Dendritic Cells)
B.4.b. Mast Cells / Basophils
B.4.b. Eosinophils
B.4.b. Neutrophils
B.4.b. Other cells (e.g. endothelial, epithelial, smooth muscle, fibroblasts, platelets)
B.4.c. Research Principles
B.4.c. Experimental Design
B.4.c. Data Analysis & Biostatistics
B.4.c. Epidemiology
B.4.c. Human subject protection & adverse event reporting
5. Non-disease specific pharmacology/therapeutics (e.g. mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, classes of therapeutics)	2%
6. Allergens, Antigens and Extracts (non-disease specific properties, measurement & avoidance)	2%
B.6.a. Aerobiology (e.g. pollens & measurement)
B.6.b. Molds & Fungi
B.6.c. Indoor Allergens
B.6.d. Animal, insect & arthropod allergens
B.6.e. Pollutants
B.6.f. Allergen extract standardization & stability
B.6.g. Specific Diagnostic Modalities
C. Emerging Health Priorities (e.g. disparities of care, opioid crisis, wellness, burnout, pandemic)	1%
Total:	100%

CAP Blueprint

A. Hypersensitivity Disorders (epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment/management)

1. Head and neck – Nasal (allergic and non-allergic rhinitis) /sinus (acute and chronic, NP, allergic fungal sinusitis) / ocular

2. Dermatologic – Eczema / Atopic Dermatitis / Contact Hypersensitivity / Urticaria / Angioedema (hereditary and acquired)

3. Lung – Asthma and related disorders (occupational diseases, ABPA, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, eosinophilic granulomatous polyangiitis (CSS), COPD, ILD)

4. Food and Drug Allergy/Hypersensitivity Reactions (not including eosinophilic GI disease)

5. Anaphylaxis (not food or drug-related) – Idiopathic, exercise, latex, stinging insect / Mastocytosis / Mast cell disorders

B. Immunological Disorders (epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment/management)

1. Immune Hypersensitivity Disorders – includes immune complex, autoimmune, and autoinflammatory (febrile) disorders; other aspects of immune-mediated inflammation (e.g., vaccination, immunotherapies for neoplasia)

2. Immunodeficiencies – including SCID, CID, T cell disorders, Humoral – B cell disorders (hypogammaglobulinemia, antibody deficiencies), phagocytic disorders, complement disorders, and secondary immunodeficiencies

3. Eosinophilic and Gastrointestinal Disorders – (Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, HES, others)

C1. Emerging National Health Priorities - Current high interest topics that cross multiple specialties and impact clinical practice. (Examples include, but are not limited to: COVID-19, opioid crisis, physician burnout, disparities of care and implicit and explicit bias, etc.)

CQE Blueprint